Using C programming language

Comments
These are statements written, not to be compiled, but for the benefit of the programmer or
others as reminders and general information about the program instruction (s);
To create a multiline comment, open it by a forward slash followed with an asterisk (/*) and
close it with an asterisk followed with a forward slash (*/)
i.e. /* multiline comment */
To create a single line comment use double forward slash to open it
i.e. // single line comment
Pre-processor directives
Before a C program is compiled in a compiler, the source code is processed by a program
called a pre-processor. This process is called pre-processing. Special Commands used in preprocessor are called pre-processor directives and they begin with # symbol. and must start
in the first line of the program.
e.g. #include <file_name> which is a header file inclusion where the source code of the file
file_name is included in the main program at the specified place
use include to state and be able to use specified functions in the program e.g. use of printf to
display output or scanf to take a keyboard input by the user.
#include <stdio.h>
Std.h is Cs standard library, which deals with standard inputting, and outputting of data and
it is declared before the main function. The .h extension indicates that this is a header file.
And to use strings, use
#include <string>
Functions
A function is a block of code to perform a particular task. e.g. a function to add two numbers.
Each program in C has at least one function known as main. C looks for this function and
executes the code within it.
Main ( )
Any code outside the main function cannot be executed.
To define main
Begin by the word main followed by round brackets then put curly brackets (curly braces)
{}within which to write the code.
Main ( ) { }
1

The curly braces define the beginning and end of a block of code.
The variables that you declare inside the block are local to that block.
Note: a global variable is defined outside the main function because a global variable applies
to the entire program.
/* Sample C program that outputs the word "Hello" */
#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
printf("Hello\n");
return 0;
}

The opening curly bracket instructs the start of a program. This is where execution of the
code begins when the program is run, while the closing curly brace instructs the end of the
program.
Declaring a function
The function is declared by stating the type of function, then its name
int main ( ) is the declaration of the main function for any C program.
The keyword int specifies the return type of the function main. It tells the compiler that this
function will return a value on completion.
Variables
A variable is a container for a value. Its content can change (vary). It includes a variable
name or identifier, and a value. eg value_1 = 2, where value_1 is the variable name and 2 is
the value it represents.
Variable Names
i)
ii)
iii)

These must start with a letter or an underscore. The remaining characters can be
letters, numbers or the underscore only.
A variable name must not be a programming language keyword such as if, for,
else, or while.
Variable names are case sensitive so, Age, AGE, aGE and AgE could be names
for different variables.

Which of the following are valid variable names?

int idnumber;
int transaction_number;
int __my_phone_number__;
float 4myfriend;
float its4me;
2

double VeRyStRaNgE;
float while;
float myCash;
int CaseNo;
int CASENO;
int caseno;

Values
Values include characters and numerical representing variable names.
Characters are alphabets.
Numerical values include integers (whole numbers), and floating point values
Data Types
i) Integer variables are used to store whole numbers (e.g. 1, 100, 500, 37 etc.). There are
several keywords used to declare integer variables, including int, short, long, unsigned
short, unsigned long. The difference deals with the number of bytes used to store the
variable in memory (how large the number is).
ii) Float variables are used to store floating point numbers. Floating point numbers may
contain both a whole and fractional part, for example, 52.7 or 3.33333333.
Semicolons
In a C program, each individual statement within a program must be ended with a semicolon;
How to declare variables
Declare the data type then the name of the variable
int age for integer
e.g.
int age = 38;
Float average for decimal numbers
e.g.
Float piValue = 3.14159;
Input/output functions
C output functions
Output to the standard output device such as the screen or screen terminal. These require a
standard I/O header file <stdio.h>

Printf
Puts
Putchar sends a character to standard output device
eg.
#include<stdio.h>

int main ()
{
char c;
printf("Type any character:");

c = getchar();
printf("You typed the letter %c \n", c);

return 0;}

puts (ie put string) sends a string to a standard output device such as the screen or terminal
window
A string is a single dimensional array of characters terminated by a null character
Writing sentences
To print a line to screen use printf and put the sentence in inverted commas within round
brackets
e.g.
printf (this is a sentence)
\n takes the cursor to the next line while \t creates a tab
printf (\n)
Example
printf (I am %d years old\n, age)
% is a place holder where decimal (integer) age will appear if the code is run.
% f for a float
% c for a (single) character
4

% f for a string
% .5 f for a float five decimal places
%d for an integer
% ld for long decimal number
%% for a percentage sign
eg printf (I am a %s\n, Programmer)
C input functions
These are used to input data or values into the program
Getchar fetches a character from a standard input device eg keyboard
Using scanf
Scanf is a function that calls for user keyboard input
e.g.
To have a program that calls for the user to input his or first and second name
Daclare the first and second name variables
char firstName, lastName;
printf (State your first name and second name);

scanf (% s % s, &firstName, &lastName);

the % sign or modulus is used as a place holder while the ampersand (&) is used to as an
address to the declared variable apart from an array which does not need an ampersand as an
address
Another example,
int main()
{
int age, years, extent;
float true_age;
int function;
age = 30;
years = 10;
extent = age*years;
printf("What is your function number ? ");
5

scanf("%d", &function);
printf("The number is %d\n\n" , extent/function);
return 0;
}
To do calculations
Declare the variables
e.g.
inte num1 = 12, num2 = 15, numAns;
float decimal_1 = 1.2, decimal_2 = 1.5, decimalAns;
printf(integer calculation %d\n\n, num2 / num2);
printf(float calculation % f \n\n, decimal_2 / decimal_1 )
Math operators
What is used to manipulate integers;
Symbol
+
*
/
++
--

Operation
addition
Subtraction
Multiplication
Division
Increment the variable by 1
Decrement the variable by 1

Uses BODMAS to order the Mth operations in FORMULA.

To use mathematical functions requires the use of <math.h> header to access the math
library.
Some common math functions are sqrt, pow for power eg. P = (2, 8) determines the value of
2 rqaised to power 8,
rand for random numbers requires the <stdlib> header
#include<stdio.h>
#include<math.h>
int main ()
{
int a;
float r;
printf ("State the integer to determine its square root: \n");
6

scanf("%d", &a);
r = sqrt (a);
printf("The square root of the number is %2.f \n", r);
return 0;
}
Comparison operators
Used to evaluate two or more values or expressions
Operators
==
<
>
<=
>=
!=
&&

Operations
Is equal to
Less than
Greater than
Less than or equal to
Greater than or equal to
Not equal
And

If then else
#include <stdio.h>

int main ()
{
int x, y;

printf("state the values of x and y \n");

scanf("%d%d", &x, &y);

if (x > y)
{
printf("x is greater thhan y \n");
}
else if (x <= y)
{
7

printf("it is of no consequence \n");

}

else
printf("Good condition \n");

return 0;
}

Program to calculate roots of a quadratic equation

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>
int main()
{
double a, b, c, determinant, root1,root2, realPart, imaginaryPart;
printf("Enter coefficients a, b and c: ");
scanf("%lf %lf %lf",&a, &b, &c);
determinant = b*b-4*a*c;
// condition for real and different roots
if (determinant > 0)
{
// sqrt() function returns square root
root1 = (-b+sqrt(determinant))/(2*a);
root2 = (-b-sqrt(determinant))/(2*a);
printf("root1 = %.2lf and root2 = %.2lf",root1 , root2);
}
//condition for real and equal roots
else if (determinant == 0)
{
root1 = root2 = -b/(2*a);
printf("root1 = root2 = %.2lf;", root1);
}
// if roots are not real
else
{
realPart = -b/(2*a);
imaginaryPart = sqrt(-determinant)/(2*a);
printf("root1 = %.2lf+%.2lfi and root2 = %.2f-%.2fi", realPart,
imaginaryPart, realPart, imaginaryPart);
}
return 0;
}